


Duchess of Mandalore Revisited

by Viva_Islenska



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Injury Recovery, Jedi, Jedi Code, Jedi Temple, Major Character Injury, Rescue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-13
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 06:53:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8834692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Viva_Islenska/pseuds/Viva_Islenska
Summary: Clone Wars Season 2 Episode 14 Revisited. Duchess Satine is on the run as a fugitive and is in grave danger. Obi-Wan risks everything to protect her and help Mandalore stay neutral in the war. Obi-Wan thinks he is letting his feelings for Satine grow too strong. Anakin disagrees... but then again the Chosen One is biased in such matters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Duchess of Mandalore Revisited
> 
> Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 2 Episode 14
> 
> If you have seen this Clone Wars episode, I am picking up the story plot right when Duchess Satine is on the run through the streets of Coruscant after the Death Watch agent kills Davu Golec- the man who had just delivered the tape Satine needs to keep Mandalore neutral. It's very similar to the actual episode, but I added and changed a few items to spice things up.
> 
> {|||||o||]+++++++++++++++++++++++

Duchess Satine Kryze had been on the run through the evening Coruscanti ground traffic for over two standard hours before she finally felt safe enough to contact her most trusted friend.

Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi stood gazing out into the night from his apartment in the Jedi Temple. The latest disturbing news had been all over the holo-net: Satine Kryze was the main suspect in a fatal shooting and was now a fugitive. Of late, things had been getting worse and worse for his peace-loving friend. Someone powerful was determined to bring about her demise but Obi-Wan was determined to keep her safe. He stroked his beard and chided himself inwardly for allowing himself to feel so anxious and worried about her. Anakin had sensed his deep-seated feelings for the young duchess, and had even gone so far as to pry at him with awkward questions about their history. However, all of the questions he had asked Obi-Wan needed no verbal response. Anakin knew love when he saw it and even more so when he felt it. He felt it rolling off of Obi-Wan in steady waves. For the first time in a very long time, Obi-Wan was struggling with his commitment to the Jedi Code, particularly the clause that forbade the forming of attachments.

That was not important to him right now. Where was Satine? She desperately needed his help. He prayed to the Force that she would contact him soon, so that he could bring her to safety and possibly aid her neutrality mission.

The very woman he had been worried sick about suddenly interrupted his meditations and thoughts. He heard the initial beeping of a holo-transmission and turned to see the gleaming hologram of Satine standing in the middle of his sitting room. She had a harried and urgent look about her.

"Obi-Wan, come in," said the hologram. "Obi-Wan, are you there?"

He started and walked swiftly over to the transmission unit where he could see her better. She was distressed but unharmed. Relief washed over him quickly followed by concern.

"Satine!" he exclaimed, his sentiments betraying him. "Where are you? Mas Amedda has demanded you turn yourself in!"

"I know," she replied, her voice reduced to a low urgent whisper. "Listen to me, Obi-Wan," she begged. "I need your help. Please come meet me. My comlink is open."

No sooner had the transmission cut out did Obi-Wan make for the door. He stopped abruptly at the threshold realizing that he would need to make himself less recognizable. He shrugged out of his clone armor so as to diminish his silhouette and conceal the popular profile of General Kenobi. He donned a pair of mahogany knee high boots and fastened his brown wool cloak about his shoulders. He clipped his trusty weapon away safely and pulled the large brown hood up around his head and face. Then he made a dash for the nearest hangar and took off in the fastest, stealthiest speeder he could find straight to Satine's location.


	2. Chapter 2

She'd covered a remarkable amount of ground for a human on foot, noted Obi-Wan to himself as he parked the speeder in a dark alley and walked casually around the perimeter of an open plaza. After making a few loops, he ventured to the far corner where Satine sat on a bench with a red cloak pulled up around her to cover her features. It was a stark contrast to the lavish and intricate garb that she usually wore. As he sat down, she shifted so that she was sitting back to back with him, in case any of the nearby clone patrols were watching carefully for hand-offs or clandestine conversational exchanges.

"Nice disguise," he whispered with a grin. Then his expression softened and he found himself unable to hide his sentiments behind his dry humor. "Seeing you alright is…"

The Negotiator struggled for words. Everything about what he was feeling was wrong. He knew he was doing credit to the Jedi Order and the Republic by helping and innocent woman. But Satine was more to him than just a random innocent woman. He knew it and she knew it and Anakin knew it.

He remembered the danger she was in and found his tongue again.

"…Well, it's a relief. You should turn yourself in. We've both sworn a loyalty to the Republic." But his heart was not in his words. Deep down, he wanted her to run far away and be safe from harm forever.

"Believe me, neither one of us is breaking our oaths," Satine assured him. "And this," she subtly slid a small disk across the bench to his hand, her fingers brushing delicately against his callused knuckles as she did so, "will help prove it. I need you to get it into the proper hands."

Satine glanced around the plaza to ensure that no one witnessed the exchange of the tape that contained the only remaining hope of neutrality on Mandalore.

Obi-Wan studied the tape briefly before tucking it safely away into the folds of his tunic. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose pensively. "But Republic guards are hunting you... which means"—

"Whoever doctored this recording," interjected Satine, "is likely in the government itself.

Obi-Wan's heart sank. Treason. Lies. Deceit. Danger. The unspoken words slithered through his mind laced with a dark foreboding. Satine was in even more danger than he had originally assessed. There was evil at large and at work here and he couldn't bear to see her fall victim to it.

He took a deep calming breath. "If you set foot inside the Senate, they'll take you."

"And," continued Satine, "The disk will be destroyed before anyone can see it. Which is why you must take the disk to Padmé."

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding and decided that there was not another moment to lose. He made a cursory sweep of the vicinity and gently grabbed Satine by the hand and led her quickly away to where his speeder was parked.


	3. Chapter 3

The pair made their way through a dank corridor that would lead them to the alley where Obi-Wan's speeder was waiting for them. The speeder came into view and as Satine gave Obi-Wan's hand a squeeze in relief, another thought dawned on him.

"Where will you be while I am in the Senate?" he asked, suddenly alarmed at what her answer might be. "What if they find you?"

"They won't," She replied coolly. "I'm going to surrender to them."

"What!" Obi-Wan was shocked.

Satine knew that concerned look in his eyes. "You'll need a distraction to enter the Senate freely. I can't risk them searching you because you and I are… associates." She blushed.

"I am a Jedi," said Obi-Wan defensively, stopping in his tracks, pulling himself to his full height and steadying his voice. "They wouldn't dare."

Satine sighed sadly and walked on toward the speeder. "Things are changing, my dear."

Obi-Wan's following cynical remark was cut short when he felt a disturbance within the Force.

He sensed a sniper on the causeway above. Two shots fired at Satine. Minimal time to react.

He dove for her, knocking her out of range and protectively rolling on top of her as one of the plasma lasers grazed his left shoulder.

"Are you alright?" he shouted, quickly yanking her to her feet.

"Yes!" she exclaimed but then gasped in horror as she noticed their pursuer.

Coming around the other side of their speeder, walked a Death Watch soldier tossing a thermal detonator in their direction. Again Obi-Wan's Jedi abilities enabled him to act quickly. But damn was this woman gifted at befuddling his usually acute senses.

He shoved her away from the detonator with all of the Force energy he could muster. Once she was safely away from the kill radius, he leapt away too. But the blast caught him in the back and threw him violently to the ground making his head collide viciously with the permacrete sidewalk.

Satine, who had landed out of harms way, noticed the Death Watch soldier emerging from the smoke of the blast and headed towards her with his rifle raised. She cried out in fear.


	4. Chapter 4

Obi-Wan came around quickly and despite the ringing in his ears, sensed Satine's danger. In the blink of an eye, he leapt up from the ground, tore his cloak away from his neck and activated his lightsaber.

The Death Watch assassin heard the activation of the lightsaber and momentarily abandoned his target to dispose of her inconvenient Jedi protector. He could tell that the Jedi was disoriented from the blast and would be easier to defeat.

Obi-Wan was indeed disoriented but he allowed his instincts and the Force to guide him. As the assassin was cocking his weapon, Obi-Wan charged at and him and within close quarters was able to sever the muzzle of the rifle from the barrel. Now the assassin would not be able to use it to fire upon Satine and she might have a chance to escape yet!

But Satine did not run. She stood motionless, worriedly watching Obi-Wan battle the Death Watch soldier in hand-to-hand combat. _Not a fair fight_ , she thought anxiously. Thermal detonator blasts were known to affect a human for hours if it did not kill them. While Obi-Wan was a Jedi Master, he was still mortal and her heart sank at the idea of seeing him struggle.

The muzzle parted from the barrel of the rifle as easily as slicing through the skin of a Joga fruit. But caught on the downward strike of his attack, Obi-Wan had left his head and face vulnerable for the assassin to strike him a crushing blow with the weapon that he had just ruined. The assassin followed with another blow to the Jedi's wrist, causing his grip on his lightsaber to fail. The silver weapon fell to the ground and rolled several meters away.

Satine watched the weapon as it fell and made a break to recover it.

The assassin took another savage swing at Obi-Wan with his heavy rifle, but this time the Jedi was ready. He deftly ducked it and was able to counter attack. Using the assassin's forward momentum to his advantage, Obi-Wan got behind him and threw him helmet-first into the wall of the alley.

But the assassin was a fighter, a Mandalorian and a member of the Death Watch who had been trained extensively in the art of combat and the hatred of Jedi from birth. He kicked off the wall and crushed Obi-Wan into the opposite wall and allowed himself of brief moment of pride as he heard the Jedi's bones creak and the air from his lungs escape in an agonizing exhale.

The Jedi was tough though. He wasted no time in recovering and throwing more punches at the assassin's head while blocking punches that were aimed at him in return. Then, a brutal punch connected the assassin's armored fist to Obi-Wan's chest, causing the Jedi to skid a few meters backward and giving the assassin the space he needed to draw his reserve blaster and take aim.

Obi-Wan was too quick for that. He lunged under the outstretched arm of the assassin and tackled him, sending the two combatants rolling backwards out of the alley. But the Mandalorian warrior was heavily armored and had gravity on his side. When he landed on the ground, he was able use his legs to propel the Jedi tumbling further backwards into a permacrete structure. The Jedi grunted in pain when his head and shoulders struck the barrier with bone-crushing momentum.

In those few moments of brutal combat, Satine was able to grab the lightsaber. She snatched it up from the ground and ran to where Obi-Wan and the Death Watch soldier were still fighting.


	5. Chapter 5

Obi-Wan squinted up from where he had been thrown into the barrier and saw the Death Watch soldier advancing with his blaster raised. _Not good_ , thought Obi-Wan, until he heard the sweet voice of his fearless Duchess shouting his name, followed by her tossing his beloved lightsaber back into his expert hand.

It was ignited within a nanosecond, the blue plasma energy blade deftly deflecting the blaster shots that would have surely taken his life. His reclaimed weapon supplying him with new confidence and center, Obi-Wan gathered the Force around him and shoved the Death Watch assassin helplessly into the side of a building. Then Obi-Wan flung the defeated warrior into a nearby billboard and he and Satine watched as the man fell to his demise down several levels of Coruscanti underworld. They had avoided the Death Watch assassin for now.

Satine took Obi-Wan in a sudden embrace and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," she breathed.

After a moment's hesitation, Obi-Wan let her sweet scent and her courageous aura fill his senses to the brim. "It is you I should be thanking," he said as he clipped his lightsaber back where it belonged. He smiled and returned her embrace.

But the joy of their evasion was temporary. Neither of them had noticed that after freefalling for four levels, the assassin activated his jet pack and was now flying back toward their position.

Obi-Wan heard the sound of the jet pack ignition before he felt the disturbance in the Force.

 _Blast_. The woman had done it to him again.

"Satine!" he shouted urgently as the assassin flew closer. "Take cover!"

The airborne Death Watch assassin reached into his pack for a weapon that was sure to end his chase once and for all: a Kaminoan shrapnel bomb. One piece of shrapnel each would kill them both. He grinned evilly behind his Mandalorian faceplate.

Obi-Wan saw the deadly cylinder in the assassin's hand then turned to grab Satine and run. He found the nearest solid structure, pressed her firmly against it and shielded her with his own body.

Satine screamed as the explosion of the bomb violently shook the atmosphere around her. Obi-Wan had pressed himself so tightly against her that he was almost crushing the wind out of her. When the explosion ceased it seemed as though for the briefest second that he sagged against her, though he straightened up immediately.

"Are you hurt?" he cried through the smoke. "Did any of it hit you?"

"I'm fine!" replied Satine coughing from the smoke. "Did what hit me?"

"Come on!" Obi-Wan shouted as he led her through the smoke to an passageway that connected to the alley where his speeder was parked.

Pleased with the proximity of the detonation to his mark, the Death Watch assassin flew swiftly away to his ship to return triumphantly home to Concordia.

Satine was still coughing from the lingering plumes of smoke. It had the faintest hint of a bitter taste to it. "What was that?" she stammered.

"Some sort of shrapnel bomb. Are you certain none of it struck you?" he asked worriedly as he escorted her closer to the speeder.

"I'm quite sure," she replied as the pair passed under a racy holo-advertisement. "What about y-

Before Satine could finish her question, the obnoxiously blinking light illuminated the winking edges of at least twenty lethal shards of shrapnel that were embedded deeply into Obi-Wan's neck, back and thighs. Satine gasped in horror.

"Obi-Wan!" she cried out. "You're wounded!"

He kept pulling her along. "It's fine. Time is running out, Satine. We must hurry."

"You can't fly in this state!" she cried as he threw himself into the pilot's seat undoubtedly worsening his injuries.

"I will," replied Obi-Wan his voice quavering just the slightest bit. "I must."

Frowning worriedly, Satine jumped into the passengers seat and buckled her seat belt. She could only hope that the Senate had not seen fit to send Republic troops to her home world before Obi-Wan was able to deliver the disk to Padmé.


	6. Chapter 6

Anakin Skywalker sat across from his wife in her office at the Senate building. She often worked late and after his own business concluded for the day, he would join her in her Senatorial workplace before they went home to her apartments together. It was late into the evening and Padmé was pouring over documents and bills trying to find a way to help her friend the Duchess. Anakin watched his wife's brow furrow with determination. While he usually didn't bother with politics or bills or even reading in general, he had been working with Padmé to try to find a way to help Satine Kryze.

Anakin had been taken with Satine the moment he sensed that she an Obi-Wan shared a distinguished past. He was even delighted to sense that time had not diminished the feelings that the two old friends had harbored for each other. It not only reminded Anakin of himself and Padmé, but it showed an endearing sentimental side of Obi-Wan that was usually reserved for his former Padawan. It made Anakin love Obi-Wan even more. Maybe one day when the war was over, Obi-Wan would follow Anakin's lead and live the rest of his days with the woman that he loved. What was the harm in being a Jedi and having a family anyway?

His musings were interrupted by a transmission on his comlink from the man himself.

"Anakin, come in," said the voice of Anakin's former Master over the rushing noise of a speeder in flight.

"I'm with you, Master. What's up?" replied Anakin lazily as he looked up from the data pad he had been somewhat studying.

"I need a favor. Can you go to Senator Amidala's office and find her?"

Padmé looked up from her work and exchanged a guilty look with her husband. He smirked at her.

"Sure, I can be there… shortly," replied Anakin. "What do you need?"

"I have the Duchess with me, I am bringing her to the Senate building. She has evidence that the video from Mandalore was doctored." Obi-Wan took a labored, panting breath.

"Obi-Wan, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" asked Anakin both hearing and feeling his Master's discomfort.

"Anakin, please just listen to me. Satine is going to turn herself into the guards. While they are distracted, I will hand the disk to you. If you get it to Senator Amidala, she can present it to the Senate."

"Alright, Master. I'll meet you by the West entrance. I hope this works."

"As do I," replied Obi-Wan before ending the transmission.

Anakin looked up to Padmé who was already redressing herself in her elegant political gown and pinning her hair back into place.

"This is wonderful news," she exclaimed excitedly. "I will alert the Chancellor that we need an emergency Senate session and then I'll meet you down by the West entrance."

She saw Anakin's worry for Obi-Wan. He stood up solemnly and before he could turn to the door to leave, Padmé came around the desk and kissed him swiftly on the cheek.

"Go," she commanded. "The four of us can do this, Ani."

Anakin hurried out of his wife's office and headed for the nearest lift tube.


	7. Chapter 7

Aboard their speeder, Obi-Wan and Satine were gaining distance on the Senate building and Obi-Wan could now see it's giant gleaming dome through his blurry vision. Although Satine was seated safely in the passenger seat next to him, she sounded oddly far away as she spoke.

"Obi, you're not looking so good, my dear. Must you always be so reckless?" She glanced at his horrid wounds and the tight lines of pain that were poorly hidden on his face. He was undoubtedly wounded internally as well as on the surface. Tears fell down her soft white cheeks.

"It seems I must," he replied woozily. "We're almost there."

Kriff but he ached and it was getting more difficult for him to breathe. The shrapnel shards lodged in legs were pushed in even deeper as he sat. The shards in his back had rudely slice through skin, muscle, tendon and possibly organs. Hopefully Anakin was available for immediate delivery because he wasn't sure how far he was going to make it once he disembarked the speeder.

"I'm going to drop you off in front of the West entrance then double back and meet Anakin."

Satine nodded in understanding and dried her tears with the sleeve of her red cloak. She would have to collect herself in order to restore her ability to gain support for her claim. For now, this meant putting her worry for Obi-Wan aside and focusing on the safety of her people. Within moments, Duchess Satine Kryze was ready to face the Republic Guards and the Senate again.

Obi-Wan was feeling more injured and ill as the seconds flew by but he had to make it to Anakin or else all of Satine's selfless efforts would have been in vain. The landing platform appeared and he deftly maneuvered the speeder beneath the ledge, allowing Satine to climb up to the stairs and approach the two clone troopers who were on guard at their post.

Satine walked up the steps and with one elegant sweeping gesture removed the hood of her cloak.

"Excuse me," she said coolly, spreading her arms wide in surrender and revealing her face to the men who were on high alert for her whereabouts. "I believe you were looking for me."

The clones immediately took her into custody as Obi-Wan watched from his speeder below. Her plan had worked and now it was his turn to do his part.

He docked his craft a few meters further away from the entrance where it would be hidden to anyone who was not looking for it. He grunted as he pulled himself up out of his speeder. The task was more difficult than he ever remembered as his limbs shook and he felt more blood oozing into the soft folds of his tunic. He must find Anakin and soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Anakin hurried as quickly but inconspicuously as he could through the vast Senate atriums and corridors down to the West entrance to meet Obi-Wan. He felt a swell of relief when he sensed Padmé's presence following closely behind him.

Another presence made itself more strongly known within his mind. He allowed his senses to hone in on Obi-Wan's location but frowned deeply when he felt that his former Master was indeed injured. He quickened his pace.

Just as Anakin crested the threshold of the secondary entrance and made his way down the stairs he spotted Obi-Wan's profile silhouetted in the night against a large white pillar. As Anakin approached, Obi-Wan's wounds made themselves more and more apparent.

Appalled, Anakin gawked at Obi-Wan's tunic that was now stained entirely crimson on the back around several pieces of hideous transparisteel shards that were embedded in his former Master's flesh. The ugly blaster graze on his shoulder did not escape his notice. Nor did the bruises under his Master's eyes and the odd stiff painful way in which the aging Jedi Master was holding himself.

"Obi-Wan, what happened?" demanded Anakin grasping his friend by the shoulders as the older man stumbled forward and sagged in his grip. "Where's your armor?"

"Shhh, Ankain," pleaded Obi-Wan. "Please don't cause a scene."

Anakin flushed with anger and anxiety, and then released it. He glanced around to make sure that his outburst hadn't attracted any unwanted attention.

Obi-Wan dug a trembling, bloody hand into the fold of his tunic and produced the coveted disk.

"Get this to Senator Amidala as quickly as you can, Anakin. Satine is counting on it."

Just as Anakin took the disk from Obi-Wan's hand, his Master's strength finally departed. Obi-Wan sagged heavily in Anakin's grip and closed his eyes.

Anakin gently lowered Obi-Wan to the ground and propped him up against the pillar he had been hiding behind. "Sit tight, Master, while I get this to Padmé. I'll be right back."

Anakin disappeared briefly into the shadows of the other pillars and found his wife who was waiting for him silently in the darkness. Wordlessly he strode up to her, placed the disk in her hand and clasped it shut with affection.

Padmé nodded to him in a silent promise to have it broadcasted immediately. Then she glanced at Obi-Wan who was lying still on the ground. When she looked back into Anakin's eyes, he nodded his silent promise to her that he would ensure that Obi-Wan would be expertly taken care of. They parted quietly and took off briskly in opposite directions.

Anakin ran back over to where Obi-Wan lay and took a knee by his Master's side. "Master what in the Sith did you do to yourself this time?" he whined nervously.

Obi-Wan grimaced. "Nothing more than the usual," he responded softly, licking at the blood that was trickling out of his mouth and onto his lips.

"You're hit in so many places, Master, I can't tell the damage. What was it?"

"It was Death Watch… A Bomb… Shrapnel…" Obi-Wan drifted away.

"Master? Obi-Wan? Ughh sithspawn!" Anakin spat, eyeing on the ugly shards that stuck out of Obi-Wan's back.

He made an urgent call to the Jedi Temple. "This is Skywalker, I am bringing Master Kenobi into the Healer's wing with severe shrapnel wounds."

Anakin heard a mushy hiss and then a response. "Roger, Master Skywalker. Healers will be ready for you in the Hospital Wing. Anything else we should know?"

Anakin grabbed on of the shrapnel shards, yanked it out forcefully, put pressure on the wound and sniffed the end that was covered in Obi-Wan's blood.

"Yeah," he replied angrily to the Jedi on comms duty at the Temple. "Poison."


	9. Chapter 9

Padmé hurried anxiously through the crowded Senate building toward her station at the office of Naboo. Careful not to trip on her gown, she called out an "excuse me" here and a "pardon me" there.

She arrived at her hover balcony just in time for the Chancellor to call the senators into session and wasted no time in presenting the new evidence of Mandalore's ability to stave off rebellion without the help of Republic occupation.

The tension in the Chamber was palpable as senators from all systems were realizing that the recording they had seen earlier was a fraud. The tide of the Senatorial vote began to shift in the Duchess Satine's neutral favor.

* * *

Anakin lifted Obi-Wan onto his shoulders and followed the bloody bootprints back to where Obi-Wan had parked the speeder. He gently lowered his Master, facedown in the back seat and leapt deftly into the pilot's seat.

"Hang on back there," he called worriedly over his shoulder.

"Hanging on," muttered Obi-Wan indignantly, his breath coming in painfully sharp gasps.

Anakin was uncomfortably aware of the puddle of Obi-Wan's blood that he was sitting in and the blood on the controls that had run down Obi-Wan's arms as he and Satine had made their escape.

"You really care for her, don't you?" he called over his shoulder again.

"Mmm," was all Obi-Wan could manage in response.

The rest of the short journey was spent in ominous silence as Anakin sped illegally and dangerously toward the Temple. At last, the speeder touched down on the landing pad and he was leaping out of his chair and hoisting Obi-Wan out of the back seat before the engines even had a chance to power down. He sprinted with Obi-Wan in the direction of the Healer's ward and gently deposited him onto a stretcher that the Healer on duty had ready for him. One Healer pushed the stretcher away while another produced a hypo and pressed it into Obi-Wan's neck. Then an apprentice Healer asked Anakin what had happened.

"I'm really not sure. I wasn't there," he admitted sheepishly. "He mentioned a shrapnel bomb and that's all."

"And you brought him here immediately after the explosion occurred?" queried the Padawan further.

Anakin closed his eyes in distress. "No. The actual explosion occurred almost an hour ago I think. I brought him here as soon as he would allow me to."

The Padawan gave Anakin a quizzical look then ushered him away. "Thank you, Master Skywalker. The waiting room is that way if you please." The apprentice scurried after his Master to report what Master Skywalker had said and aid in selecting the patient's antidote.

"I know where it is," growled Anakin angrily under his breath. With fists clenched, he went to find his wife.


	10. Chapter 10

After being acquitted of all charges, Duchess Satine was summoned to the office of the High Chancellor, where she would be informed of the results of the new vote for Republic occupation of Mandalore.

She held her head high as she glided into the room where Chancellor Palpatine, Padmé and Anakin were waiting to tell her the good news.

Chancellor Palpatine began the discussion.

"Well, Duchess, it seems that in light of this new evidence, the Senate has seen fit to reverse their vote on occupying your home system. I have the utmost faith in your leadership to carry out what must be done." The Chancellor took her by the hand and Satine bowed back in return.

"Thank you, Chancellor. My people and I will do whatever it takes to avoid war," said Satine gracefully. She then turned to Padmé and took both of her hands in her own.

"And thank you, Senator," she said looking Padmé in the eyes. "This could not have happened without you. I owe you much thanks."

Padmé smiled warmly. "Of course, you are quite welcome, Duchess. But it is Master Skywalker and Master Kenobi who deserve the credit."

Satine looked stricken for the slightest instant but recovered her diplomatic nonchalant façade. She turned to Anakin.

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," she said with eyes glistening.

Anakin bowed in return. "I am your servant, my lady." He took her by the arm. "Come I will escort you to your ship. Maybe we should stop and see Master Kenobi on the way so you can give him your… thanks, as well."

"Very well," said Satine taking his arm, her tone and expression not giving the slightest clue that heart was leaping with joy at the prospect of seeing Obi-Wan. "Farewell Your Honor, farewell Padmé."

* * *

Anakin and Satine left the Chancellor's office together. Satine was at a loss for words.

"You don't need to say anything, my lady. Obi-Wan would be pissed at me if I let you leave without saying goodbye to him. So I am doing this as much for me as I am for you" he joked.

Satine frowned with worry. "And is he not yet well enough to meet me at my shuttle?"

"I'm sorry, my lady, but no. Obi-Wan is out of mortal danger but he hasn't woken up from surgery yet."

"Oh. I see," said Satine mournfully.

Anakin lead Satine to his shuttle and escorted her inside the Jedi Temple to the Halls of Healing. Once outside of the door where Obi-Wan was recuperating, Anakin stopped.

"I will give you two some privacy," he said with a wink.

Satine blushed rosy red and inclined her head in thanks, took a deep breath and entered the room where her rescuer lay.

Obi-Wan had been through antidote treatment, surgery to remove the shrapnel and to repair his internal wounds and bacta submersion to repair everything else. He was now resting peacefully, sleeping deeply and laying on his stomach in a soft bed with a med-droid to keep him company.

As Satine approached the bed, she could see several layers of bandages through the thin white hospital tunic and pants that he was dressed in. It made her sad but it was a nice change from the last time she'd seen him.

She pulled up a chair beside his bed and gently stroked his hair and face.

"Thank you, my Obi-Wan. I will see you again, my love." She leaned in closely and lightly kissed him on the brow.

The Jedi Master made no response save a slight fluttering of his eyelids. Satine allowed herself one more minute by his side and then reluctantly stood up and made for the door.

She took her leave of Obi-Wan's recovery room and allowed Anakin to escort her to her shuttle. Mandalore and her people could not wait any longer.

Once Anakin saw Satine safely to her ship and it was speeding away into the Coruscanti atmosphere, he turned back and headed to where he belonged: his Master's side to help him heal.


	11. Chapter 11

Obi-Wan had climbed out of his deep Healing trance and was having a very pleasant dream. He dreamt that Satine was safe and healthy and by his side stroking his face lovingly. Such a pleasant dream indeed.

Then he heard the sound of a door closing behind someone who has just left the room. His eyes snapped open. He lifted his ludicrously heavy head off of the bed, slowly tried to blink away the prevailing grogginess and began to realize where he was. The Halls of Healing. His wounds were serious and plentiful but on the mend. There was an inorganic presence near him, watching him. And then he sensed...

 _Satine_ , he thought. _She was here_.

He began to maneuver himself painfully to a sitting position. The med-droid nearby fervently opposed his efforts, but he took no heed and sent the robotic nuisance gliding gently to the opposite side of the room with the wave of his hand. He took a few wobbly steps away from the bed, slipped into a pair of soft boots from the Hospital wardrobe and began limping down the hallway, following the lingering aura of _her_.

* * *

Anakin had just made his way back to the Halls of Healing when he saw who appeared to be none other than Master Kenobi struggling down the corridor dressed in nothing but his hospital tunics and boots. The stubborn man was using the walls to hold himself upright and obviously still feeling the effects of his injuries, the poison and the sedatives.

Anakin's heart went out to the man. He knew precisely who Obi-Wan was looking for.

"And where do you think you're going?" he called to Obi-Wan slyly. "You're just going to run out of here in your pajamas like a mynock out of hell and not even say hello to your favorite former apprentice?"

Obi-Wan looked up from his labored journey into Anakin's amused but worried eyes.

"I… Anakin… I don't know," he mumbled. "I'm not sure… Satine…"

Anakin made his way to Obi-Wan. He looked sympathetically into his Master's unfocused eyes then gently took his weight and guided him back toward the room where he was supposed to be resting.

"I know, Master, I know. Stop your worrying. The Senate repealed the vote to occupy Mandalore," Anakin informed him. "She's perfectly alright, Obi-Wan. But you're not."

Anakin glanced at his Master's hospital tunic that was now being stained pink by a deep wound that had reopened.

"That's going to need staples now, Master," chided Anakin.

But Obi-Wan was still confused and needed assistance back into the clutches of the frantic med-droid.

"There you are Master Jedi! I specifically instructed you not to leave," chimed the perturbed droid. "Please lay the patient on the bed, sir," it said to Anakin. "Master Kenobi needs restabilization."

Anakin watched as the droid removed Obi-Wan's tunic, the ruined bandages and cleaned the deep wounds that had reopened. Then it deftly stapled them together again.

"Mmph," groaned Obi-Wan into his pillow. "Not a pleasant sensation."

Anakin rolled his eyes but clasped Obi-Wan by the hand until it was over.

When the droid was finished with the wounds and bandages, it scanned the patient to insure that no internal healing had been disturbed. Then it announced, "Patient has been re-stabilized but requires immobility and rest. This droid recommends restraints to be used—

"I'll take it from here," said Anakin to the droid. "I will call you if Master Kenobi needs anything."

The droid somehow looked peeved. "I must stay with the patient, Master Jedi. He is not yet- ahhh!"

Anakin Forced-ecsorted the droid across the room and out into the hallway. Before the door shut behind it, he heard the droid sniff something indignant like "Well I never!"

Anakin turned his attention back to Obi-Wan, who was now situated as comfortably as possible on his stomach but still sleepy and in a considerable amount of pain.

Anakin retrieved a tube of medicated Healing herbs from a draw and gently began to slather it over Obi-Wan's stapled lacerations. He then blew lightly on the liquid until it dried into a thin clear film.

"Better?" he asked his Master, who had visibly relaxed some under Anakin's gentle ministrations.

When Obi-Wan nodded, Anakin then opened what was to be an extremely personal conversation. One best had without listeners- including med-droids.

"How do you feel, Master? You know you were covered it blood when I dropped you off. I must say that red is not your color."

"I'm quite alright Anakin, thank you. Though I can't figure out why I feel so, so…"

"Loopy?" suggested Anakin.

Obi-Wan scowled. "That's one way to put it."

"You were poisoned, Master. Every single one of those shrapnel pieces you caught with your backside was laced with a Kaminoan poison that is deadly to humanoids."

"Deadly?" asked Obi-Wan intrigued.

"Correct," stated Anakin.

"But am I not alive?" asked Obi-Wan dryly.

Anakin laughed. "You are indeed! I got you here in time to get the antidote, but still the sith-damned stuff was reeking havoc on your body. Even sterile, your wounds could have done you in. By all accounts you should be dead."

"Then it was the will of the Force that kept me alive long enough to complete my mission and be escorted by you to the Healers," decided Obi-Wan.

"Some might say that," replied Anakin mischievisouly.

"Oh? You think not?" Asked Obi-Wan quirking an eyebrow. "And to what does the great Master Skywalker attribute this unconventional feat?"

"Well besides my extreme timeliness,"... Obi-Wan rolled his eyes... "Love," stated Anakin simply.

"Love?" asked Obi-Wan as if he had never heard the word in his life.

"Yes. Love," said Anakin again. "You love _her_ , Obi-Wan. And your love for her allowed you to do things you never even dreamed you were capable of."

Obi-Wan casted a guilty gaze to the floor. He was unsure how to respond. It was such an affront to the Code, such an abomination to a Jedi's sacred vows.

"Don't worry Master, I won't say anything to anyone. But I will say this: I am grateful for you and her and for the love you bear between each other. Without it, Satine would be fighting a war on her home planet that she didn't want and I would be feeding logs to your funeral pyre."

Obi-Wan knew there was no denying it. Anakin was too clever, too perceptive and too strong in the Force by half to be deceived. He said nothing for a few searching moments.

"I'm sorry, Anakin," began Obi-Wan at long last. "I've set such a bad example and have forced you into hiding a secret for me."

"Don't be sorry Obi-Wan! You know I would do _anything_ for you. _Always_. And anyway, I am no stranger to keeping secrets."

Obi-Wan quirked his eyebrow again. At present, it was about the only movement that didn't cause him any more discomfort. "Do I even want to know?"

"You don't have a choice, that's why they're called secrets," Anakin teased.

"How very droll," grumbled Obi-Wan.

Anakin continued. "Just consider this. You can be Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Negotiator, the committed and legendary Jedi Master now. But when the war is over, maybe you can go find Satine and live the rest of your life with the woman you love."

"That does sound tempting," said Obi-Wan sadly. "And would you also go seek a woman to love?"

"Maybe," Anakin shrugged.

"Hmm," said Obi-Wan wishing he had to strength to reach up and stroke his beard. "Something tells me you wouldn't be traveling very far to find her."

Anakin smirked. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

They exchanged a saucy grin.

"Now, Master, let's get you healed. My next mission will be _such_ a bore if you are not there to need my rescue."

"Oh please, Anakin. _You_ are the one who is simply too frightened to go on a mission without me."

"Whatever you say, Master," said Anakin laughing and shaking his head.

Obi-Wan smiled and took some deep breaths, and reflected how grateful he was to have Anakin by his side.

"By the way, how long did they say I am to remain a prisoner here?" asked Obi-Wan.

"At least four rotations," replied Anakin knowing what he would say next.

"Well, far be it from me to impose on their hospitality," said Obi-Wan distinctly remembering that that despicable med-droid assigned to his recovery had spoken of restraints. _So uncivilized._

"Let's make it one rotation. I daresay we have business elsewhere."

Anakin smiled, nodded, closed his eyes and got comfortable before joining Obi-Wan in a Healing meditation.


End file.
